SAN DIEGO -- Channel 4 San Diego has signed Mark Neely to a two-year contract as play-by-play announcer for the station's Padres baseball telecasts beginning with the 2009 season, announced Craig Nichols, Vice President and General Manager for Channel 4 San Diego and Sandy Alderson, Chief Executive Officer for the San Diego Padres.

Neely joins the strong telecast team of color analysts and former Padres players Mark Grant and Tony Gwynn. "With his network experience, Mark Neely will be right at home with Channel 4 San Diego's award-winning production team," said Nichols. "We've got another winning combination in the announcer's booth with Neely, Grant and Gwynn."

"We are excited that Mark is coming to San Diego and will be calling Padres action," said Alderson. "Mark is going to bring a fresh perspective and personality that will complement Mark Grant's color commentary and enhance an already solid Channel 4 San Diego telecast."

A graduate of the University of Kansas, Neely is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and climbed through the ranks of professional baseball, calling games on radio and television.

He emerged in 2001 on ESPN to call Major League Baseball, NCAA College Baseball and Little League baseball games. He ascended rapidly through the ranks of ESPN to call NCAA College football, soccer, softball, volleyball, swimming, diving and basketball games. In 2007, Fox's Big Ten Network hired Neely to be one of the lead play-by-play announcers for NCAA College Basketball, NCAA College Baseball and Olympic sports. Neely also was the radio and television voice for Minor League Baseball teams in Boise (A), Springfield (A), Salem (A), Tulsa (AA) and Louisville (AAA).